Airship.



J. E. J. RAINEY.

ARSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30| 1917.

,Patented Aug. 13,1918.

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To all wwm it may concern Beit known that l, JAMES E. J. Rainer, a citizen of the'United States of America, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful improved Airship, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in an air ship of the lighter-than-air type, and embodies many new features of construction and modes of btt operation. A purpose of the invention is to provide a form of air ship comprising a compartmented envelop for retaining gas, along with means for shifting the gas from `one compartment to the other to facilitate' steering or repairing of the machine.

Another feature of the invention resides in a propeller used in Jdriving the machine through. the air. l/Vith various other objects and purposes in view the invention has relation to a certain form and combination of parts, an example Jof which is described in the following specification, pointed' out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein :i

ligure 1 shows a form of air ship built along the lines suggested and disclosed in this invention. x lFig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the machine. v i i Fig. `3 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the form of propeller used in driviing the air ship.

Referring now `more in particular to the drawings, wherein the'same parts throughout the several views are indicated by idenl tical reference characters, the numeral l' points out theframe superstructure which comprises thermain body of the machine, the

body having a suitable streamline form adapted to movel through the airywith minimum resistance. The main body and frame is compartmented as illustrated by being provided with a central longitudinal partition 2 extending the entire length of the machine whichv forms a lower open chamber 3. This lower chamber is used as the passenger .carrying car andis provided with an open- `ing i for entrance or. .exit to the passenger way of the ship. A set of steps and .closing door 5 is provided to facilitate entrance to the car. The door 5 may be closed by lifting same about its pivot point 6. Vertical partition walls 7 are provided in the u per or-` tion of the machine which form the gas ninsHIr.

Specification of Letters Patent. patiemment, Aug; f3, llgjl., Application led Iluly 3G, 1917. Serial No. 183,635. I Y

rthe power plant andother mechanical fa` cilities of the ship.

The'envelops 84 and 9 are separate oomff partmen'ts provided to hold the gas for lift ing the ship, -and means are provided for shifting the gas from one compartment to the other for the purpose of varying the lifting capacity of the ends of the ship. A

centrifugal pump 1l` is provided in the' engine room, adapted to be driven at high speed from an engine 12. Conduits 13 and 14 connect the pump to the respective gas envelops, eachl conduit being providedwith a valve l15 'for controlling theflow of gas therethrough. .The pump( is driven in any suitable manner from the power plant l2 of the ship. When it is desired to pump the gas from the front of thefmachine to the rea-r 'the valves willbe opened and the pump 1i 'driven in the proper direction to exhaust the gas from the compartment 8 and drive it into the compartment 9. This will cause .a lightening of the frontend and thus cause the\ machine to gradually ascend with its look tubes 16 are provided with thelr optic l,ends permanently 'set in the walls of the engine room and their outlook extremities d1- rected forwardly and downwardly to secure visions of the ground beneath'the shp. suitablev door or opening 17 is provi ed 1n theengine room'for giving access thereto. The running gear or landing chassis comthis prise a set of truck wheels 18 arranged ina frame and pivoted to the body of the ship at "i9. A cable 2O and windlass 21 with suitable connection are provided for drawing the landing gear up into recesses 22 formed in 'the body of the machine. These recesses house the gear. from view and eliminate the atmospheric drag which .would be created in high speed travel should they be lltlli left exposed to view. With `the windlass` and operating'means 2l, located in the passenger way it willbe easy for the running gear-to be raised or lowered asdesired. lt-vertical steering rudder 23 is pivotedv lllltll.

The forward nose of the rudder is rounded in form and fits into an arcuate depression formed in the ship.

A horizontal rudder 28 is pivoted on the rear of the ship and beneath the vertical rudder and provided with any suitable means for controlling it similar to that described and illustrated for operating the vertical rudder.

Twin propellers are mounted on the forward extremity of the ship and arranged on either side thereof, adapted to effect their pull upon the machine in an even manner. Each propeller comprises a spiral screw blade 29 with an increasing diameter toward the forward end thereof. This spiral blade will preferably be integrally formed with an enlarged funnel shaped air duct 30. A central shaft 31 is fixed to the blade and blade casing and adapted to be journaled in bearings 32. An outer casing 33 is provided to contain the propeller. A set of ball bearings will preferably be used between the revolving member 30 and stationary member 33. The propeller casing is further provided with an outlet duct 34 with a. gradually increasing diameter toward the rear end thereof. A chain sprocket 35 will be formed on the revolving member 34 and adapted to be driven thereby as hereinafter described. The forward extremity of the propeller casing is provided with a flange 36 for overlapping the stationary housing 33. This prevents an atmospheric drag between the revolving and stationary members by directing outwardly the air which comes in contact with the perimeter of the profixed upon a shaft 39 which is driven from the engine by a belt or means l0. A suitable support 41 is supported from extensions 42 of the frame and adapted to carry the weight of the forward ends of the propellers. A streamline entering edge or diverger 43 is further supported on the meulbcr Ll1 for the purpose of eliminating air resistance and drag due to the high speed travel of the ship through the air. The machine will preferably be constructed of aluminum or other light weight material.

This air ship will be effective in general military defense and reconnaissance activiVv ties, and will be highly capable of limiting down submarines and other water craft looking forward to their destruction. The

. said envelop compartmented into front and rear gas containing chambers, of an engine room located between the two compartments, a gas circulating duct connecting each compartment, a centrifugal pump connecting with the duct, and valves included in the duct for the purpose of controlling the passage of the gas from one compartment to the other.

JAMES E. J. RAINEY. 

